A former assistant coach for the Portland Pirates AHL hockey team has been charged with soliciting sex from a 13-year-old female fan.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ Thirty-seven-year-old Mike Minard of Falmouth has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of solicitation of a child to commit a prohibited act and sexual misconduct with a child younger than 14. His lawyer said Minard has asked for a jury trial.

The Portland Press Herald reported that Minard was fired last month by the Pirates' National Hockey League affiliate, the Phoenix Coyotes, when it learned of the investigation.